World Sleep Day - 13th March

Sleep plays a crucial role in supporting our wellbeing, helping us regulate emotions, concentrate, and cope with everyday challenges. When sleep is disrupted, our mental health can be affected in ways we don’t always notice straight away. This World Sleep Day, take time to reflect on how sleep supports your mental health. 

The theme for this World Sleep Day is Sleep Well, Live Better. 

Sleep is one of the most important foundations for both our mental and physical wellbeing, yet so many of us struggle to get enough of it. In fact, nearly 1 in 5 people in the UK don’t get sufficient rest, with the average night’s sleep lasting just five hours.

Enough sleep vs. Healthy sleep

The most common advice for poor sleep is to get enough sleep, but is it really that simple?

Sleep health is multi-dimensional and can vary widely from person to person. Our age, health, and personal circumstances influence much sleep we need, and some people naturally sleep more than others.

Instead of only focusing on how much sleep you need, it’s important to consider what your night and sleep routine is.

It’s essential to consider overall sleep health, not just how much sleep. Sleep health can be broken down into six key areas:

• Duration: How much did you sleep over 24 hours?
• Efficiency: How well do you fall asleep and stay asleep?
• Regularity: Do you have consistent sleep and wake times?
• Timing: When do you sleep?
• Alertness: Do you maintain good focus and attention during waking hours?
• Quality: Do you feel satisfied with your sleep?

Sleep quality and mental health

According to the World Sleep Foundation, “Sleep quality is different from sleep quantity. Sleep quantity measures how much sleep you get each night, while sleep quality measures how well you sleep”.

Sleep quality is essential as this can impact levels of restorative sleep, which requires smooth progress through the four stages of the sleep cycle.

Factors impacting our sleeping quality can include: 

• Irregular sleep schedule
• Sleeping in a brightly lit environment
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Caffeine and alcohol intake

Restorative sleep is fundamental for our mental and emotional health; it allows our minds to recover from the day and prepare us for the next one.

Our sleep quality can be an indicator of our mental health. Poor mental health can affect our sleep quality, and poor sleep quality can impact our mental health.

Changes or disrupted sleeping patterns can be an indicator of poor mental health. Being able to familiarise ourselves, understand and knowing what can affect our mental health is vital for our long-term wellbeing.

Tips for improving sleep quality

Consistent poor-quality sleep can keep us stuck in a continuous cycle: disrupted sleep can cause impaired cognitive judgment and emotional dysregulation, increasing the risk of psychological distress and mental health issues.

Some practical ways to improve your sleep

• Reduce screentime - Greater exposure to blue light from digital and electronic devices has been associated with later bedtimes and decreased sleep duration. Consider minimising direct use of electronics in your daily habits and enabling the red-light filter on your devices to help disconnect.
• Share your worries - Sleep problems can occur for a variety of reasons. However, sleeplessness can become an issue if it disrupts your daily life. External factors, such as stress, pain and discomfort, can contribute to disrupted sleep patterns. Talking to someone you trust, speaking to your GP about concerns and worries can help reduce anxiety that’s keeping you up at night.
• Optimise your sleep environment - People tend to sleep best when their space is as cool, dark, and quiet as possible. This reduces the chance of disrupted sleep cycles and ensures a complete and uninterrupted night’s sleep.
• Going to bed and waking up at regular times - A consistent sleep schedule can help bridge the gap between wakefulness and sleep, allowing us to wind down naturally before bed and increasing the likelihood of restful sleep.  
• Engage in calming activities - Stress-reducing techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga exercises, can help induce a calming effect, helping your body and mind unwind and relax.